Editorial Staff

Study Finds Massachusetts Lagging on Transparency of Public Official Statements of Financial Interest

/in , , , , /by Editorial Staff
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on
LinkedIn
+

A few simple changes would update system, improve transparency

Read coverage of this report in State House News Service.

BOSTON – Despite some recent progress, a new policy brief published by Pioneer Institute finds there is more to do if the Commonwealth is to make the Statements of Financial Interest (SFIs) that public officials file annually truly accessible to Massachusetts citizens.

“With just a few critical changes, Massachusetts could progress from maintaining one of the least transparent and least constituent-friendly financial disclosure regimes in the nation to becoming a national leader in the accessibility and usefulness of its public officials’ Statements of Financial Interest.” Said Mary Connaughton, co-author of “Outdated and Obfuscated:  The State of Public Financial Disclosure in Massachusetts.”

All but three states require elected officials to submit public financial disclosures on an annual basis.  Thirty-one states post the disclosures online for free and open viewing, but Massachusetts is not among them.

Connaughton and co-author Matthew Graves find that, while SFIs are public documents in Massachusetts, those who seek access to them must either visit the State Ethics Commission in person with a photo ID or upload a picture of the ID online so the commission can verify the requester’s identity.

Until recently, a requester had no choice but to visit the office of the State Ethics Commission.  When the Public Inspection Module, which allows registered individuals to view SFIs online, was unveiled last year, more disclosures were viewed in a single day than in the previous three years.

One suggestion Graves and Connaughton offer to bring the Commonwealth’s financial disclosure regime into the mainstream is to eliminate the picture ID requirement.  While photo IDs are not required to vote or register to vote, they must be provided for citizens to see elected officials’ SFIs.

The authors also recommend eliminating the requirement that filers be given the name of anyone requesting the public official’s SFI.  The provision opens requesters to potential intimidation and has a chilling effect on SFI requests.

Finally, Massachusetts should update its SFI forms, which have not changed since the law went into effect in 1978.  Since that time, mean household income has risen by 255 percent and home values have jumped 702 percent.  The result is a form in which “$100,000+” is the top category listed for the value of a public official’s home.  According to the authors, the simplest way to address the issue would be for the Legislature to give the State Ethics Commission discretion to adjust the categories as it sees fit.

About the Authors

Matthew F. Graves is a J.D. Candidate at Boston University School of Law. He previously worked in Governor Charlie Baker’s Legal Office as the Legal Assistant and Primary Records Access Officer. Prior to the Governor’s Office, he worked in New Hampshire politics. He holds a degree in Government from Dartmouth College.

Mary Z. Connaughton is Pioneer Institute’s Director of Government Transparency and Director of Finance and Administration. Previously, she served on the boards of the former Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct, and the Commonwealth Corporation. She was Chief Financial Officer of the Massachusetts State Lottery and held positions in the State Treasurer’s Office. She earned an M.B.A. from Assumption College, and holds degrees in accounting and English from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

About Pioneer

Pioneer Institute is an independent, non-partisan, privately funded research organization that seeks to improve the quality of life in Massachusetts through civic discourse and intellectually rigorous, data-driven public policy solutions based on free market principles, individual liberty and responsibility, and the ideal of effective, limited and accountable government.

 

Related Posts:

Average Weekly Wages of Healthcare Workers Across a Decade

From 2012-22 the healthcare and social assistance sector has seen the smallest growth in average weekly wages of any large industry in Massachusetts. This potentially has dire consequences on the employment crisis that this industry already faces.

Suffolk County Residential and Commercial Taxation Changes Since 2018

Massachusetts is a relatively rich state, with an average assessed…

What makes these five so-called “W” towns so appealing?

Learn about what makes these five Massachusetts "W" towns so desirable to live in, but also the costs associated with them.

New Online Tool Tracks MA Hospital Revenue from Commercial Sources

A new online tool from Pioneer Institute shows a gradual increase in non-commercial (public payer) revenue at Massachusetts hospitals and also reveals a strong relationship between the hospitals with the highest commercial revenue and those with the highest relative prices.

Examining the Academic Achievement Decline in New England Prior to COVID-19

COVID-19 was not the beginning of student performance declines in the United States. Academic achievement for students across the country began to drop-off following the widespread implementation of the Common Core curriculum in 2013. While declines have occurred across the country, New England has experienced a particularly sharp decrease in student achievement.

Massachusetts Legislature Procrastinates Once Again

There are less than seven weeks left to the Massachusetts Legislature’s…

Testimony – Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions

Testimony - Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions

Sunshine Week 2024

Partly Sunny with a Chance of Transparency As Pioneer Institute…

Pioneer Commends MA Governor-elect Healey’s Step Toward Greater Transparency

Pioneer Institute commends Governor-elect Maura Healey for choosing not to claim a public records exemption for the governor’s office. Governor-elect Healey also pledged to support legislation that would curb exemptions claimed by the legislative and judiciary branches of state government.

Massachusetts Needs a Comprehensive Performance Management Framework

0 Comments
/
Many states have made promoted government efficiency and effectiveness by setting goals and tracking their progress. Massachusetts tried making a performance structure, but in 2014 it was discontinued. Today, the state lacks a comprehensive structure to track progress.

School-Age Population Remains Steady, but Boston Struggles With Declining Enrollment

0 Comments
/
Hopefully, new leadership will ensure that the system makes the changes necessary to improve public education in Boston. Otherwise, enrollment declines will continue.